New Music From South Africa on Calabash Music

Marabi Africa

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

Marabi is the independant label created in 2002 by Christian Mousset, director of the Festival Musiques Métisses d'Angoulême in France.The festival, place of exchange and discovery, is widely opened to urban popular musics from the African Continent, Indian Ocean, the Caribbeans, America. Marabi is mainly a discographic extension of this event. On the same artistic line, the label puts upcoming artists forward as well as patrimonial leading figures. Marabi is the name given to the South African Jazz born in the townships of the thirties.

African Reggae

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

Shiyani Ngcobo

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

The Mahotella Queens

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

The vocal trio made of Hilda Tloubatla, Mildred Mangxola and Nobesuthu Mbadu belongs to the legend of urban South-African music. In the early 60s, together with Mahlathini («The Lion of Soweto») and the musicians of the Makgona Tsothle Band, the Mahotella Queens invented the Mbaqanga, an explosive style blending traditional music forms (Zulu, Sotho, Xhosa, Sotho, Shangaan etc) and Marabi (South-African jazz in Apartheid times) with American Rhythm'n'Blues, Soul and Gospel, then very much heard throughout the townships. The end of Apartheid has allowed a whole new generation to discover the glories of their musical heritage. Let yourself embark on a journey to the rainbow nation, to dance and to dream!

Mahotella Queens

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

The legendary female choir of urban South African music.

DJ Mbuso

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

DJ Mbuso is one of South Africa's hottest DJs on the scene

T Klep

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

T Klep is one of the core group of underground hiphop heads who started Black Sunday Soweto, showing the way for a new generation of musical activists

Bunny Chow

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

soundtrack to the award winning Bunny Chow film from South Africa, featuring artists like MXO and Watkin Tudor Jones

Tswana and Sotho Voices

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

Zulu singing may be well known nowadays, but the voices of the Sotho and the Tswana have until now remained out of the spotlight.

Soweto Percussion Ensemble

Sun, 11 May 2008 14:54:23 -0500

The Soweto Percussion Ensemble was formed over a decade ago. Thanks to the multitude of instruments wielded by members of the band (currently an octet), its music is timbrally and stylistically rich.